Promise Made
by Citation-2
Summary: Sequel to "Night Of Shame, Night Of Joy". Set during "Aliyah": what impact will Ziva's actions in this episode have on Gibbs and his son Ben's lives?
1. Chapter 1

**Promise Made**

**By Gunnery Sergeant**

Sequel to "Night of Shame, Night of Joy"

Set during "Aliyah", about four months after the events of the previous story.

**-x-**

The Mossad HQ in Tel Aviv had been built with functionality in mind. The building was tall, imposing, but plain, with only a few concessions to aesthetics.

It was also crowded with soldiers and officers and clerks, which made it almost impossible for Gibbs to find a quiet place where to be alone with his thoughts.

The last 48 hours had been hectic and given what had happened, it would be almost a miracle if they all would leave Tel Aviv relatively unscathed by those events. He had no idea of how the relationship between Tony and Ziva would come out from this mess.

Gibbs sighed as he leant against a balustrade and looked down at the small patches of greens scattered in the inner courtyard of the building. He wasn't a man used to second guessing himself and he wasn't going to start now.

Telling DiNozzo to stay on Rivkin had been the right decision. Tony deciding to confront Ziva about the fact the signal of Tabal's laptop was coming from her apartment had not, but in the younger man's defense he hadn't expected to find Rivkin there.

Gibbs wondered where Ziva had been, since she had left the office before him, but hadn't showed up at her apartment until after Tony had arrived and he and Rivkin had fought.

In other circumstances, Gibbs would have thought he knew the reason of her silence—but not this time. Because that night, her usual reason for reticence had been home with him, chattering non-stop about his visit to the Smithsonian Museum with his class.

Ben.

A small smile appeared on his worn features as he thought of his son, the boy who in the four months had had known he existed, had managed to heal Gibbs' wounded soul more than eighteen years and three ex-wives had ever done.

Binyamin Eitan Gibbs, formerly David, was an incredible child. He was smart, funny, intelligent, but most of all he possessed a heart of gold. He was the sweetest kid Gibbs had ever met, full of trust, ready to forgive, easy going, sensitive, sunny.

If not for the DNA tests proving unequivocally Ben was his and Ziva's son, he would suspect there had been some mishap at the hospital when the child had been born, because his personality was so different from his parents'. However, Gibbs was not going to complain, since he benefitted from Ben's disposition.

The first time they had met, the very night Ziva had revealed to him that he had a son, Gibbs had felt terribly awkward in Ben's presence. Despite his usual knack for dealing with children, he had found himself at loss of words. Because this had not been just any child, but his son, whose conception had happened...well, in circumstances Ben was far too young to know.

Gibbs had desperately wanted to do the right thing, to say the right words, but he had only managed to stare at the blue eyed, brown haired miracle in front of him.

And then Ben had approached him and said, in heavily accented English, "Mom says you are building a boat in the basement. Is it true? How do you plan to get it out?"

Those questions, so foreign in the somber mood of the encounter – or at least Gibbs had thought the moment should have somber and solemn – had snapped him out of his daze and he had knelt to be face to face with Ben.

"There's a way to take it out. Do you want me to show you?"

Bed had nodded eagerly and had taken without hesitation the hand his father had offered him. Together they had walked toward the basement, Gibbs shortening his strides so that Ben's limping leg wouldn't be too strained.

They had stopped atop of the stairs, and he had explained to his child how he took out the boats...

Gibbs smiled, as he remembered how wide Ben's eyes had been as he listened—and how excited his son had been just three days before, when they had moved the upper portion of the "Kelly" out of the basement and taken it to the marina, where the lower part of the hull had been stored for the past year and half.

As a matter of fact, they had been sitting on his worn couch, discussing the assembling of the "Kelly", after the SecNav had gone away, when a phone call from Ziva had alerted Gibbs of what had happened between DiNozzo and Rivkin.

Gibbs had listened to the call pulling on his best poker face, because he hadn't wanted to alarm Ben. Then he had called Ducky – the only one who knew of his son, because he was aware of the circumstances of his conception – and had asked his old friend if he could take care of the child, since he had no idea of when he could have returned.

Ducky had agreed, not only to take care of Ben during that night, but also to look after him when it was decided both Ziva and Gibbs would leave for Israel.

His cell phone chirped and brought him out of his memories and as he looked at the caller ID Gibbs saw it was Abby's lab number. He hoped she had some good news for him.

"Yeah. Gibbs."

"Hey, boss. How's Tel Aviv?" McGee answered.

"Forget Tel Aviv. How's Tony? How's Ziva?" Abby's voice intruded. "Are they talking yet?"

"They're fine, Abby." Well, as much as possible given the situation. Tony had just played Eli David very well, making him admit Rivkin had working under the older man's orders while in America, but it had yet to be seen how DiNozzo would come out from all than mess. As for Ziva…Gibbs frowned when he caught a glimpse of her on one of the emergency stairs. She seemed to be looking for something—or someone.

He decided to follow her as he continued to listen to Abby's excited babbling about Israel, her voice full of her usual vitality. Sometimes, in days just like this one, when he felt each of his fifty years, he wished to have just a fraction of her energy.

"The case, Abby," he said bringing her back of track.

"McGee and I, we've been working on Rivkin's computer, and...We're doing fairly well. With a little luck, I think we'll make our 24-hour deadline."

Gibbs nodded as he kept to following Ziva, being careful not to be noticed.

"Boss," interjected McGee, "I ran the back-trace on Ziva's cell. Most of the calls check out."

"Most?" Gibbs stressed the word.

"Well, she did make one call from her car two nights ago to a highly encrypted phone, Israeli registered. Call was placed just after midnight."

"Six hours before the bombing," Gibbs commented as he finally saw where Ziva was going into a small inner courtyard. He could see that her eyes were locked on a man having a smoke there.

"Which means either Ziva really upset someone or...she was somehow involved," completed McGee, despite Abby's attempts to silence him, "I traced the Israeli phone. It's registered to-"

"Officer Amit Hadar," Gibbs answered, prompted by his gut, as he realized who the man Ziva was closing on was—fast. She looked furious, and putting away the phone, he quickened his steps, because he had no idea of what she was up to.

Gibbs arrived to the garden just in time to see Ziva hold Hadar in death grip to his neck. He approached slowly, not wanting to be seen. As he walked closer, their voices became louder and clearer.

"You tried to protect Rivkin, but in truth, you are the reason he's dead," Hadar was saying, "Rivkin killed that American agent. You knew this! And still you did not report him!"

"I called you and I told you to remove him!" Ziva exclaimed and Gibbs nodded to himself. Here there was the explanation for her late night phone call.

"Too late! By then, we could not get him out of the country. All we could do was clean up after him. And you," Hadar answered, his voice lowered as he became aware of Gibbs.

"Damn you! Do you realize my son could have been in the apartment when the gas blew it up?" Ziva almost shouted. "He could have been the one to ignite the explosion! Did you think of it?"

Hadar looked at her, then at Gibbs, making him realize the Mossad Officer was aware of who Ben's father was.

"I knew the boy wouldn't come home. There were men ready to stop him should he return unexpectedly. Here, take this," Gibbs saw Hadar pass a folded piece of paper to Ziva. "There is no one left to blame. Stop looking."

The Mossad officer walked away as Gibbs stepped closer to Ziva.

"Hadar set the fire," she said, her voice devoid of emotion.

"Covering for Rivkin."

"I was betrayed...by Mossad, by my father, by Tony," Ziva's eyes took a very cold look as she added, "Who's next? You?"

Gibbs didn't answer to her accusation, but his gaze hardened as he stared at her.

Her defiant, angry look deflated and she looked down at her shoes, as if she were ashamed by her words.

"Forgive me, Jethro," she said softly, facing him again, "I know you would never do it. If not for me, for Ben."

Gibbs nodded curtly, "Yeah."

"Have you heard from him?"

"I talked to Ducky just after our arrival, while you were with your father. He said Ben was still asleep, because yesterday evening they stayed up late playing Scrabbles." Gibbs smiled briefly, "According to Ducky, Ben won by composing a word no eleven-year-old kid should know. He didn't say what it was, but he wondered from whom our son learned it..."

Ziva smiled proudly, as her tense posture relaxed a little. "He is a resourceful boy." Then she sobered again, "I must go. My father wants to see me."

Gibbs just nodded, and watched as she walked away, until she disappeared from his sight. He knew she was hurting badly, and he longed to be able to help her, but he wasn't sure it would be possible. He was very fond of her and trusted her on the job, but the truth was he knew very little about Ziva. Oh, she talked a lot during the evenings they spent together with Ben, but she said very little about herself. He never pressed for more, given the fact he too wasn't exactly open about his past, but he wondered about her, about what had shaped her.

Gibbs rubbed his face. God, he was tired. He needed a coffee—a real one, not that dirty broth he had been served earlier.

Then after throwing a glance to the Mossad Officer who had been discretely following him since they had stepped into the building, Gibbs smirked and began to formulate a plan; because there was no way in hell security was going to stop him from finding a Starbuck's cafe.

**-x-**

As he shouldered his backpack, Gibbs was about to hope that would be the last time he would set a foot in Israel. But then he remembered Ben had expressed the desire to visit the country along with him, because the boy wanted to show to him all his favorite places in Haifa, and introduce him to his friends there.

Thinking of his child made Gibbs quicken his pace as he walked toward the plane waiting for them. Tony and Vance were already boarding and the sooner they left that place, the sooner they would be home.

He was about to step on the ramp when he noticed Ziva lingering, hesitant, near it.

"Plane leaves in five minutes, Ziva," he said.

"Not without us, it doesn't," she answered and Gibbs stopped walking, sensing there was something up. "I think it is best if I simply speak from the heart."

"Well, yeah, it usually is," he encouraged her, wondering what this was about.

"It's Tony. I am still not convinced that he has been entirely truthful about Michael's... Rivkin's shooting."

"He gave you his word," Gibbs reminded her gently.

"I am not sure we can work together. Perhaps it is best if...one of us gets transferred to another team."

"Transferred?" Gibbs repeated surprised. He hadn't seen it coming.

Ziva nodded almost imperceptibly. "I need to be able to trust the people that I work with. I know you, more than anyone, understand that."

Gibbs looked around as he collected his thoughts, and saw the way Eli David was looking at them. He looked like a vulture eyeing a dying animal, and he didn't like it a bit.

"Listen Ziva, this isn't the time or the place to have this conversation. We'll discuss it at home, when we're more rested."

"No. I need an answer now, Gibbs." Ziva insisted, tilting her head in a stubborn way.

"I can't give it. Not now."

"Then, perhaps it's best if I don't go back."

"What?" Gibbs exclaimed, stunned.

"I'll stay here," she clarified.

He pulled her closer by the elbow and throwing a look at Eli David he hissed, "What about Ben?"

Ziva stiffened. "You'll have good care of him." She took out a sealed envelope from her bag and showed it to him. "This is a document stating that you have now Ben's full legal custody."

Gibbs' hand almost shook as he took the envelope. "Why are you doing this? What's going on?" he asked, needing to know.

"Nothing. My father wants me back. He told me I had to choose between Mossad and NCIS, and I chose the former. But I don't want to see Ben dragged into this world too. I want him to grow up like a normal child, away from my father's scheming. He will be safe in America with you."

Gibbs was by now past being shocked. He had regained control over his emotions, and his brain was working frantically to come up with an explanation for what was going on.

"How long have you been planning this, Ziva?" he asked. "Is this the real reason you told me about Ben?"

Ziva didn't answer, just kept staring at him.

Gibbs shook his head, frustrated. "What do I tell him?"

"That I have been given an important job here. That I love him and will come to visit as soon as I can," her voice was clear, calm, showing none of the inner turmoil Gibbs thought she had to feel.

As for himself, he didn't know what else to say. She had made her decision and he knew her well enough to know she wouldn't change her mind. Thus, after giving a final look at Eli David, he bent forward and kissed her cheek.

"Take care of yourself," he murmured, before turning around and boarding the plane, as he wondered how he would give the news to Ben.

**-x-**

When the plane landed, Gibbs told Vance and DiNozzo he would see them the next day at the office and got into his Challenger before any of them could reply.

As he drove in the heavy traffic in the direction of Reston and Ducky's house, he thought of how best to break the news about Ziva to Ben. The child loved his Mom even if, often time, they behaved more like siblings than mother and son, perhaps because Ziva had been so young when she had him.

But whatever the relationship between them, it was going to be hard for Ben to know she had stayed in Israel, and Gibbs wondered if he would be enough to fill the void. His son seemed to love him, but there was no point in denying they had known each other for only four months and that he wasn't the warmest or most demonstrative of men.

He loved Ben with all of himself and would die for his child, but being a parent wasn't an easy task and he was still adapting at being a father again. With Kelly, everything had been so gradual. He had learned about her little by little as she grew up and her personality developed. Ben instead was another story. His personality was already defined, and he was so different from Gibbs.

Would he be able to give his son what he needed? He hoped so. Hell, he had to. Ben was too important to screw up.

When he reached the Mallard residence, Gibbs rang the door bell and made an effort to push his worries away.

Ducky opened the door and smiled upon seeing him. "Welcome back, Jethro. How was it in Israel? Is Anthony still in one piece? And Ziva? How is she?"

Gibbs didn't answer, but Ducky knew him well enough to read his silence.

"Oh, not good, huh?"

_Not now_, Gibbs mouthed, when he saw his friend was about to talk again, because he had just spotted Ben walking into the hallway.

"Dad!" the child exclaimed, walking as fast as he could toward him.

Gibbs couldn't suppress the twist to his heart being called "dad" always caused. It felt so damn good to hear that word again.

"Hello Ben," he answered, wrapping his arm around Ben's shoulders as his son embraced his waist, looking up at him with shining eyes and a toothy grin. "Go to gather your things and thank Ducky for his hospitality. We're going home."

"Yay!"

Gibbs and Ducky watched Ben walk away from the hallway and reappear a few minutes later dragging a bag that was too big for him.

"What did you put in it?" Gibbs grumbled good naturedly as he shouldered it, "Bricks?"

"Just stuff," Ben shook his shoulders. "Ducky loaned me some books." He turned to face the older man and offered his hand. "Thank you for your hospitality, Doctor Mallard. I enjoyed myself a lot and I hope I will be able to visit you again soon."

"You're welcome, Binyamin," Ducky answered, shaking the offered hand, as Gibbs fought not to smile at the very formal salute. "I will keep the Scrabbles board ready for your next visit."

Ben grinned and walked toward the car and after another meaningful glance to Ducky, Gibbs followed him.

They got into the Challenger and as Ben fixed his seat belt he asked, "Is Mom waiting for us at your house?"

Gibbs' hands tightened on the steering wheel and he made the effort to relax his grip as he answered softly, "No, Ben. She's still in Israel."

"Oh." Ben was silent for a few moments, and then asked, "Why?"

"She has work to do there," Gibbs explained as he drove along Ducky's driveway.

"For Grandfather Eli?"

"Yes."

Ben took a worried expression. "I don't like it when she does it. She goes away for months without telling me there, and when she comes back, she is so silent...and does not laugh." He swallowed so hard Gibbs heard him. "Can't you do something, Dad? Bring her here? You are her boss."

Gibbs stopped the car and looked at the face staring at him hopefully, hating the words he had to say. "Not anymore." He saw his son's features cloud with disappointment. "She decided to stay behind, Ben. But your Mom is smart and resourceful—and she loves you. Very much. I'm sure she will return soon."

"You sure, Dad?" Ben looked at him, his eyes so full of trust in him that Gibbs' heart ached.

"Positive," he answered, hoping with all of himself to be right.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks so much for the reviews! :)

**-x-**

Later that evening, Gibbs was in his basement, sweeping the sawdust from the floor, when the floorboard over his head creaked. He didn't stop working because he had a good idea about who his late visitor was.

Sure enough, he heard footfalls on the steps as Ducky said, "Jethro, forgive the intrusion." His steps faltered for a second as he took in the empty basement. "How did you possibly manage to...?"

"Geez, Duck, you gonna ask me that every time?" Gibbs answered, as he bent down to pick a piece of wood that could still turn useful. "You know I won't answer, but perhaps Ben will. He helped me."

Ducky smiled as he continued his descent. "I bet you swore him to secrecy, and he will never break it. Where is he?"

"Asleep. He has school tomorrow."

"How did he take it...? About Ziva?"

Gibbs put away the broom and stepped near his work bench, emptying a jar from its content and cleaning it as he answered, "You heard about it?"

"Yes. I must tell you our Abigail is quite upset with you at the moment. She wanted to come here, but I managed to convince her to let me talk you first. I was sure you wouldn't like to see her storm here and make a scene with Ben nearby."

Gibbs nodded and looked at his friend, "Thank you, Duck." He poured some bourbon in both the jar and his favorite mug and sat down.

Ducky walked closer and commented, "I know this decision must not have come easily."

"It wasn't my decision."

"But Tony said..."

"No. Ziva's. The moment she asked me to choose," it wasn't the entire truth, but it was all Gibbs was willing to say, at least for the moment.

"So this is not about loyalty, it's about an unreasonable demand."

"She withheld information."

"To protect Rivkin. Someone she obviously cared about," Ducky said, playing the voice of reason as he often did. "Ziva has always remained an officer of Mossad. I certainly don't envy the position that she just found herself in." He paced along the basement for a while, then returned near Gibbs, and looked down at him. "Considering her less-than-conspicuous background, it's amazing she ever had your trust."

Gibbs shook his head, "No, she earned it."

"But you took to Ziva more quickly than any other agent before her. Timothy, Caitlin, even DiNozzo. I've always sensed that there's...a strong bond between the two of you. A bond far precedent her revelation concerning Ben. Something shared, perhaps."

Gibbs looked up toward the entry of the basement, remembering the night Ziva had killed her bother Ari to save his life, just as many years before he had saved hers. Yes, they had really shared something, but no one but them – and perhaps Ben, when he was old enough to hear it – would ever know.

"No," he replied to Ducky's comment. "She proved herself."

"Whatever it was that Ziva did to prove her loyalty, well; it was not nearly as momentous as you believed. Or was it?"

Gibbs didn't answer and looking at his friend, he understood that he never would. He watched as Ducky wandered mindlessly for the basement for a few minutes more, before taking his leave.

Once alone again, Gibbs thought back to the previous day, and wondered if he had made the right decision without Ziva.

What would she have done had he said, "OK, one of you'll get transferred?" Would have she travelled back with them? Or would she have found another reason to be left behind?

His gut told him Ziva would have stayed behind in any case. The worried father inside him couldn't help but ask if he had done everything he could to bring back the most important woman in his son's life.

**-x-**

A couple of weeks later, Gibbs was sitting with his son in the living room, watching a Disney movie. Well, Ben was watching the movie munching popcorns, while his father just stared at the screen, lost in thoughts.

The conversation he had had with Vance that morning was replaying in his mind like in a loop, as he tried to make sense of it.

"_You made the decision to leave her in Tel Aviv. I supported you. And now you might want to let her back. Why?"_

"_Because whatever she might have done, I trust her… for what I know she did. Four years ago-"_

"_She saved your life. By shooting and killing her half-brother, Ari. I told you the chair was big. Ari was out of control. So, Ziva's father sent her to eliminate him. She kills Ari, earns your trust. Two birds, one bullet."_

He couldn't believe it. Ziva had looked so devastated when she had killed Ari. So shocked to discover her brother was really a killer and a traitor after having defended him for so long. And how could he forget how she had broken down in his arms, crying for Ari, after using that episode to bring back his memory after he had been blown up?

"_Eli played you."_

Eli or Ziva? Had it really been just a plan to gain his trust? Ziva had said she had recognized Gibbs as her savior in Beirut as she was compiling a dossier for Ari...was killing her brother just a step in her plan to go to work for Gibbs and then introduce him to Ben?

Gibbs almost snorted. That was a bunch of crap. There could have been other ways to get the same result without having to kill her brother.

His thought then moved to the last part of his conversation with Vance.

_"But regardless, Gibbs, up until now, Ziva's always been loyal to this agency. I know you don't want to hear this, but now you have to trust me. And if you're right about Ziva's allegiance to you, she'll serve us well at Mossad."_

_"Yeah, and if you're right, about her father... we'll never see her again."_

God, how he hoped Vance was wrong! He wanted Ziva back on his team—he wanted her back for Ben. The boy needed his mother.

"Dad?" Ben's voice intruded into his thoughts.

"Yes?" he answered, looking down at his son.

"Any news of Mom? She has been gone for a long time."

"It's just two weeks," Gibbs reminded him gently.

Ben's eyes darkened, as he snuggled against his father's side, "Seems longer. I miss her."

Gibbs wrapped his arm around his slim shoulders and kissed the top of his silky head, "I miss her too, Ben."

Silence fell over them as Gibbs studied the weariness on Ben's face. He knew the boy stayed up till late every night, looking at Ziva's photos and praying for her. It was a moving thing and an admirable thing, but so taxing for a child who had to go to school and was still getting used to a completely different life, in a different country.

Ben needed a break—and so did Gibbs. They could go away for the weekend, maybe even take a day or two of vacation and make it a four-day trip.

Yeah, good that was an idea. But a trip to where? Gibbs didn't want to go to Disneyland or to some other chaotic place full of families and screaming children. They could go to the countryside... they could go to Stillwater.

Gibbs nodded to himself. He would like to see his father again and it was about time the introduced Ben to Jack. Yeah, it was really time to pay a visit.

"Ben?"

"Yes?"

"What would you think if we went somewhere together? With no school and work for a few days? Just you and me."

Ben's blue eyes brightened. "It would be so cold!"

"You mean cool, not cold." Gibbs tried to hide the pain at the instant memory of his mother.

"Yes, cool. Where are we going?"

"I think is time we pay a visit to your Grandfather Jackson, in Stillwater," Gibbs said slowly, studying his son's reaction.

Ben tilted his head on the side, considering. "Is he like Grandfather Eli?"

"Nope. He's completely different."

"Good. Then I would really like to meet him."

Gibbs smiled and ruffled his hair, as he inwardly wondered what Eli David had done to Ben to make the child dislike him so much. Was it just because Eli sent Ziva to missions or was there something else?

Ziva's words to him in Tel Aviv, to keep the boy away from her father, echoed in his mind, making his gut churn, making his realize there was indeed something else...but what?

In the end, Gibbs shook his shoulders as his jaws set. It didn't really matter, because whatever it was, he was determinate to make sure Eli David would never get near Ben again.

**-x-**

The following Friday night, Gibbs drove along the mostly deserted streets of Stillwater as Ben slept on the passenger seat.

They had left DC after work, with a four-day vacation in front of them. Vance hadn't been thrilled by the idea of letting Gibbs go, but he had relented when he had capitulated and promised to start looking for Ziva's replacement upon his return. Of course, Gibbs planned to drag the interviews as long as possible...maybe he would let McGee and DiNozzo conduct them, and then find excuses not to approve their choices and thus gain a bit more time...

Once he got his leave, Gibbs had called his father, a short conversation that had certainly thrown the older man in flurry of activities.

"_Dad? I'm coming up for an extended weekend. I'll arrive later on Friday night, and I'll be bringing someone with me. Could you get the guest room ready?"_

Jackson Gibbs was a man full of imagination and Gibbs could only guess what kind of scenarios his mind had been conjuring up after his phone call. However he felt safe to bet none of them involved his son showing up with a child.

Gibbs pulled up by his father's house and honked once. Then he unbuckled his seat belt and did the same with his son's.

"Wake up, Ben. We've arrived."

Ben mumbled something but didn't open his eyes.

Smiling, Gibbs got out of the car and circled it, just as his father appeared on the front steps.

"Hello, Leroy."

"Hello Dad," they embraced briefly, and then Gibbs returned to the car, opened the passenger door, and pulled Ben up into his arms. Despite being half-asleep, his son reacted by wrapping his arms around his neck and his legs around his waist.

Gibbs took a deep breath before turning toward Jack, ready to face the music.

Jackson's eyes widened almost comically as he saw the child.

"Who-?" the older man began, but he didn't complete the line because Ben chose that moment to wake up enough to mumble, "You Grandpa Jackson? Nice to meet you."

The child's head fell again against Gibbs' shoulder as he said to his for once speechless father, "I'm taking him to my old bedroom. I'll be right back."

Jack just nodded, and Gibbs lost no time in carrying Ben upstairs. He settled him into the bed, removed his shoes, and covered him with the blanket his Grandmother Annie had made when he had been born. Then he kissed his son's brow and left the room, straightening his shoulders as he prepared to face the storm downstairs.

Jackson had taken their bags out of the car while Gibbs had been upstairs, and brought them inside the living room. He threw the keys of the Challenger to his son as he hissed, "_Grandpa Jackson_?"

"Yes," Gibbs confirmed, catching the keys.

Jackson shook his head and sat wearily on the old couch. "I can't believe you never told me. I can understand you not telling me about your failed marriages-"

"Who told you about them?"

"Abby, she likes to talk...I can understand that, but Leroy, do you really despise me so much you thought I had no right to know I had a grandson until now?" Jackson raised his watery eyes to look at Gibbs, making his heart twist with pain.

He sat down on the low coffee table, just in front of his father. "I don't despise you, I never did. I would have told you about Ben—had I known about him in the first place."

"What do you mean?" Jackson asked, confused.

"What I am saying is that I had no idea Ben existed until four months ago. I didn't tell you about him since now because I didn't think it was something I could say at the phone."

His father looked deeply into his eyes, saw his sincerity and nodded. "Tell me what happened."

"Ben isn't the son of one of my ex-wives. He isn't even the son of a lover...In truth I don't even know how I could define his mother..." Gibbs shook his head, irritated with himself because he was almost babbling, then he went on and told his father about his brief stay in Beirut in 1997, the circumstances that had led to Ben's conception and how he had discovered who that girl had been.

When Gibbs was done Jackson shook his head amazed. "That's a hell of story, Leroy. It seems almost incredible you and that girl met again and that she turned out to be Ziva. By the way, why is not she here with you boys?"

"'Cause she's in Israel. She's returned to work for Mossad, and we haven't heard from her for the past three weeks or so. Ben is worried, and I hoped a trip here would distract him." _And me_, he thought but didn't say.

Jackson smiled. "That's a good idea, Leroy. There are many a thing for a father and a son to do out there, and I too will do my best to keep the kid entertained..."

Gibbs glared at his father, knowing he was planning to tell to Ben about him and his not always brilliant exploits as a child. "I'm sure you will," he grumbled, as he stood up and shouldered their bags.

"Good night, Dad," he said.

"Goodnight, Leroy—and welcome back."

Gibbs nodded and smiled to his father as he realized that, for the first time in far too long, it felt good to be back home.

**-x-**

The next morning Gibbs woke up at 08.46. He rarely overslept, but when he did, it was a sure sign he had been more tired than he had thought—or admitted to be.

He washed, dressed and when he stepped out of the bedroom, he heard Ben and Jackson's voices come from the kitchen. It looked like he was the last one to show up. Oh well, he was on vacation, after all.

As he walked into the kitchen, Jackson winked at him, while tilting his head in Ben's direction.

"Hi, Dad!" his son exclaimed, raising his head from a bowl and sporting two milk moustaches on his upper lip.

"Hi Ben. Hi Dad," Gibbs answered, ruffling his son's hair as he sat by his side. On the table, between the sugar and a box of cereals, were lined several of his old toy cars. He picked one up and asked, "What are they doing here?"

"Grandpa Jack was telling me they were yours, when you were a boy like me," Ben answered.

"And the young man here was telling me toy collectors would pay good money for them on EBay," Jackson commented, as he pushed a mug full of steaming coffee toward his son.

Gibbs arched an eyebrow. Even he was aware of what EBay was, but he wasn't sure he was pleased his son already knew the auction site.

"Really?" he said, sipping his coffee.

"Really! I saw one sell for $50, and it wasn't as nice as these ones," Ben exclaimed, nodding with his head.

Gibbs pursued his lips and pointed to the little cars, "You plan to sell them?"

"Would you let me?" his son asked.

"Yes, if you want to."

Ben picked up one of the cars, turned it into his hands, and then shook his head. "No. I don't want to sell them. They are memories, and memories are worth far more than $50."

"You're very wise, Ben," Jackson commented with a smile.

Silence fell on the table as Gibbs drank his coffee and Ben ate his cereals. Then Jackson said, "Do you already know what you want to do today, boys?"

Gibbs shook his head, "Not yet."

"Why don't you take Ben to fish at Elbow Creek?" Jackson turned to address Ben, "It's called that because the creek makes a turn that looks like a bent elbow." He then faced Gibbs again and teased, "That is, if you still remember how to fish Leroy!"

"It's been a long time, Dad," he murmured, remembering his last vacation with Shannon and Kelly, "but I think I'll manage."

"Good, cause I'd love fish for dinner," Jackson commented.

Gibbs looked down at Ben, "You wanna go?"

"Is it something you did as a kid?"

"Yep."

"Then I would like to go fishing at Elbow creek."

Jackson smiled as he stood up and began clearing the table. "I'll prepare you some sandwiches, so you can spend all the day there. And remember to bring towels; you can skinny dip if it gets too hot."

"Dad!" Gibbs feigned outrage as Ben giggled. "Go to brush your teeth and put on your shoes," he told his son a moment later.

"Yes, sir!" Ben exclaimed with a sloppy military salute, before leaving the room.

Jackson stepped closer to his son as they watched the boy go. "He's really a great kid, Son."

"Yes, he is," Gibbs agreed softly.

"He reminds me of you at his age."

Gibbs shook his head, "Nah, he's nothing like me. I was never so open and easy going."

Jackson turned his head to look straight at his son and said softly, "That's not true, Leroy. You were exactly like him. Happy, bursting with energy, talking all the time, always ready to laugh. And then..." Gibbs saw his father's eyes cloud with pain. "Your Mom died, and it was like the light was switched off inside you. In your soul. You became quiet, brooding, and solitary. You stopped laughing and that look – the one I told you about last time you were here – appeared in your eyes. My greatest regret is I wasn't able to help you. I wasn't able to prevent those changes from becoming permanent."

Jackson walked away, and Gibbs stood there, contemplating his father's words with a sense of dread.

His thoughts went to Ziva, as he wondered about her fate and what would happen if she would never return.

Would it switch off the light from Ben's soul too?

Gibbs didn't want to even imagine it and in that moment, in that kitchen, he made the solemn promise to do everything in his power to avoid it would ever happen.

A promise to God, Ben, Ziva and himself.

A promise he intended to keep—no matter what.

**The End**

To be followed by "Promise Kept".


End file.
